Vespa is Now 70 Years Young

Seventy years after the birth of Vespa, Piaggio has introduced Settantesimo paint for the brand’s still-fun and eye-pleasing models. For the US, models available in the special paint include the Primavera 50, Primavera 150, and GTS 300.

Courtesy of Vespa

Time has come for Piaggio to celebrate the 70th birthday of Vespa, a brand that was born in Pontedera, Italy, near Pisa, in April 1946.

To Piaggio, Vespa is everything: a symbol of Italian creativity, and a very smartly conceived project that through all these years has survived the multiple ups and downs that the fashion-driven two-wheeled vehicle market went through, always proving it was worth every single lira (no euro) invested to make it grow and evolve. But first of all it is the pillar of Piaggio’s very healthy financial condition.

Special 70th anniversary models will be available in Azzurro 70 or Grigio 70 colors, the first a light silver blue (shown) and the second a light silver gray. These special models also feature pewter gray wheels, dark leather color seat, and a chromed rear luggage rack complete with a classic styled dark leather bag.

Courtesy of Vespa

There was a time when, with the scooter market undergoing a revolution triggered by the coming of the little buzzers styled after Flash Gordon’s spaceship, Piaggio management thought that the name Vespa was getting boring and dusty. The big idea at the time was to call the lightly restyled edition of the time “Cosa” (Thing). The popular revolt forced an immediate withdrawal of the new definition. And yet more than that, it quite possibly made upper management fully realize that Vespa was an asset to keep and protect, and that the time had come to quit the ultra-conservative approach (that was really dusty) that had prevented any real technical updating.

A very positive evolutionary program was launched to fully consolidate the real merits of Vespa’s unique design and functional concepts to the point of progressively making the brand grow to its present iconic status—radically evolved in its functionality and efficiency, but still faithful to its design and image.

Having baggage is cool, especially when it matches your seat.

Courtesy of Vespa

A special edition celebrates the 70th birthday of Vespa and it is called “Vespa Settantesimo” (Vespa Seventieth). It comes in two dedicated colors, Azzurro 70 and Grigio 70, the first a light silver blue and the second a light silver gray. Each scheme add pewter gray wheels, dark leather color seat, and a chromed rear luggage rack complete with a classic styled dark leather bag.

The Vespa Primavera 50, Primavera 150, and GTS 300 will all be offered in the custom “Settantesimo” livery. Of course, it’s suggested that Vespa Settantesimo is but the first of the initiatives that through 2016 will celebrate the 70th anniversary of Vespa. So stay tuned for more.

Vespa Primavera 50, Primavera 150, and GTS 300 in custom anniversary livery referred to as “Settantesimo”, which translates to “70th”.